A Message from Catholics for Change in Our Church (CCOC-Pittsburgh)

A Message from Catholics for Change in Our Church (CCOC-Pittsburgh) on the 3rd Anniversary of the PA Attorney General’s Grand Jury Report (read more)

CCOC is going to mark the third anniversary with another Progress Report.  It will be issued after Labor Day in the hopes more people see it and have time to read it then.  In the meantime, if you are willing and able, we encourage you to see last year’s Progress Report by going to the CCOC website at www.CCOC-Pgh.org  

But for today, there are specific requests I want to make of you.  They are:

• Pray for the victims and survivors of clerical abuse and their families.  Many, if not most, still feel marginalized within their own Church and do not feel the support of their fellow Catholics in speaking the truth of their experience.  They continue to seek justice against their abusers and the Church hierarchy.  

  • This is especially true in Pennsylvania, where victims have not been given the right to seek justice where statutes of limitations have expired despite large majorities of people, both Democrat and Republican, who support creating a window to allow victims this right.  The PA Conference of Catholic Bishops has aggressively lobbied the state legislature, including the Senate majority leader, to stop this legislation from advancing for a vote.

• Pray for Catholic laity to be inspired by the Holy Spirit to find the courage to ask and demand for change in our Church.

  • Many if not most Catholic laity are tired, frustrated, and disillusioned.  We need prayers to help us find hope amidst the challenges we face in our Church and in our society.

  • Please also pray specifically for the efforts of Catholics for Change in Our Church, that we may find the energy and wisdom to be persistent in our efforts to help change our Church in the ways that are needed.

• Pray for priests, including the Church hierarchy, and deacons that the Holy Spirit may help them be less afraid of needed change, including in their role within our Church

  • This request may be a heavy lift for many lay Catholics reading this; it may not be possible for many to get beyond the anger they feel towards priests and bishops.  But it may help to realize and remember so many priests feel alone, unsupported, and unsure of themselves right now.  They need to be challenged by laity to dismantle the clericalism that is at the root of all the power problems in our Church. But this needs to be done through relationships where priests and deacons feel supported and understood while being challenged.

As we mark the third anniversary, it is apparent efforts to change the Church will require the mindset of a marathoner, not a sprinter.  We need to remain hopeful knowing that God is with us, and will bless our efforts, and will provide the grace and wisdom we need to carry on.  We also need to find comfort, inspiration, solace, and encouragement in each other, in the community we have formed within CCOC, and realize we can discover (or re-discover) the joy of our faith in our efforts together.  For it is true now as it was 2,000 years ago that Jesus is present in our midst when two or more of us gather in His name.